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Volume 1 will launch on Friday 15th June and I'll release another volume every 2 weeks, so I have enough time to finish the content. Each volume will be available for $2.99 in my store and at Amazon. Single volumes will also be available for $9.99 as a hard copies.

For those of you wanting a free copy, you can simply email me and ask for one. I'll just want you to help spread the word in the social media, write a review, discuss the books in poker forums such as 2+2, or support the Postflop Poker Podcast.

I wanted to write a short note to thank everyone who sent in ideas for titles for my new book series. It was an overwhelming response and you all showed a great deal of creativity. Let me share a few of the ideas that I considered:

1: Poker FAQs (Merv Harvey)

2: Position, Power, Poker (Grant Thomas)

3: Poker Genesis (Owen Mullan)

4: Poker Questions? Answered (Richard Brundell)

5: Interview with Poker (Ray Belanger)

6: Cutting Edge No Limit Holdem (Mike Lynch)

7: Where is Your Poker At? (Jorge Blanch)

8: Crushing Poker (Martin Sayer)

9: Poker Missions (Martin Sayer)

10: Poker Today (Steven Serle)

11: My Poker Transformed (Richard Dunham)

12: Elevate Your Poker (Mary Beth Hayes)

13: Important Poker Questions Answered (Dan Bushfield)

14: The Pursuit of Perfect Poker (Brannen Hough)

There were plenty more that I haven't published here. The title/subtitle that I decided upon Your Poker Mastermind / Answers Your Questions was my own idea. From a marketing perspective I know that some of your ideas would probably sell more copies, but in the end I felt a strong connection with "Your Poker Mastermind" and I hope you like it too.

This is a great question, as so many players make mistakes when value betting.

First of all, let’s separate value betting on the river from the other streets.

Value betting on the flop and turn has to take into consideration the future streets, which complicates the mathematics and makes a simple formula less useful.

On the river, however, there is a process I find useful.

Count the number of hands in your opponent’s continuance range that you are beating (this is not his entire range, but the range with which he is going to flat-call or raise your bet). Next, count the number of hands in his calling and raising range that have you beaten. Which category has more hands in it?

If it is clearly category 1, then you should normally be value betting. If it is clearly category 2, then you should not be value betting.

This is about as close to a formula as you can get.

Top Tip: Try and learn to think in combinations. Using Flopzilla or another range tool can help with this

You also need to consider your position. If you are out of position, sometimes check-calling can be smarter if there are lots of hands your opponent will bluff with. So, even if value betting has positive expectation, check-calling might make more money.

Okay, so far so good?

If you are considering value betting on the flop or turn, you also need to think about the future streets and how things are likely to play out.

This makes life really tough. In general, if you consider your range to be stronger than your opponent’s range, value betting is often the right strategy.

Nevertheless, marginal hands such as one pair hands need to be played carefully, so you are not building huge pots, especially if out of position.

A final thing to consider is your opponent and how fishy he is. It is easier to get value from weak opponents, so you can value bet more often. You can also choose larger bet sizes!

Bet sizing is another important consideration. Try and divide your opponent's hands into categories and think about how he will behave with different hand types against different bet sizes.

Remember too that you are not just playing your specific hand. Try and make sure your bet size choice is logical both as a value bet and also as a bluff, so you present a genuine problem to your opponent.

This is one of those questions that everyone thinks they know the answer to, but is frequently misunderstood.

The numbers refer to the level or tier of the betting. It has nothing to do with the size of the bets chosen, nor the number of players involved.

The first tier preflop is the posting of the blinds - the 1-bet if you like. Then, as soon as someone raises, this bet is known as a raise - the 2-bet, or second tier. If another player re-raises, that is commonly referred to as a 3-bet, as the betting has reached its third tier. The same is then true for 4-betting and 5-betting. Any calls in between raises do not increase the betting tier.

Blinds - 1-bet

Raise - 2-bet

Reraise - 3bet

Rereraise - 4bet

Rerereraise - 5bet

Note that the size of the bets has no bearing on the tiers, so if a player simply pushes all in preflop as his open raise, this bet is at the “2” level.

Postflop, no blinds are posted, so the betting tiers start from scratch. Often, I hear players refer to a postflop bet as a raise, or a raise as a 3-bet, when in fact it follows the same simple structure:

Bet/Raise/Reraise = 1-bet/2-bet/3-bet

Learning to use this terminology correctly will enable you to communicate accurately about poker with others and avoid misunderstandings.

Over the past 2 years, I have been asked over a hundred different poker questions that I thought would make a wonderful book series. As many of the questions have come in through my work with Transform My Poker I initially wanted to title the books after Nick Wealthall's training site. To avoid confusion over brands, I have renamed the books Your Poker Mastermind. These are going to be inexpensive and you will be able to read large chunks of the content for free. Volume 1 will be released first and will be priced at $2.99, though you will be able to pick up a free copy simply by contacting me. In return, I'd I like your support in the social media and by writing helpful reviews. I'll replace the images below soon to reflect the new title.

My answers to the questions are concise and I often provide links to further resources. I have organised them into 10 volumes:

1: General FAQs

Volume 1 is a reference book, featuring many of poker’s most frequently asked questions. Poker terms and concepts are defined and explained concisely. This book will help plug any gaps in your understanding of poker’s fundamentals.

2: Planning & Bankroll

Volume 2 deals with the essential and often misunderstood topics of planning and bankroll management. If you want to avoid some of the most costly mistakes a poker player can make, you should read this book.

3: The Mental Game

Volume 3 answers all your questions on the psychology of poker, including tilt, emotional control, active thinking and bad beats. In addition, there are many useful links to other resources that can help you conquer this crucial aspect of poker.

4: Software & Statistics

Volume 4 covers off all your questions on poker software and statistics. It is aimed squarely at the online player and can help you choose which software to use and also how to get the most out of that software. Also included are answers to your questions about HUD statistics and how to get the most out of your HUD.

5: Mathematics

Volume 5 is dedicated to poker mathematics. Whether you struggle with simple arithmetic or complex calculations, this book will build your confidence, teach you what you need to know and show you what and how to practice.

6: Cash Games

Volume 6 answers some of the most common questions about cash game play. If you are setting out on your journey as a cash game player, this book will serve as a useful starting point.

7: Tournaments

Volume 7 answers some of the most common questions about all types of tournament play, including SNGs and turbos. If you are setting out on your journey as a tournament player, this book will serve as a useful starting point.

8: Live Games

Volume 8 tackles questions on live poker games and includes a few more in-depth questions on specific hands from live play. If you are looking to become a more profitable live poker player, this book contains plenty of tips to help you.

9: Cash Game Hands

Volume 9 is a collection of in-depth cash game hand questions. Consider each question yourself, compare your answers with mine and uncover any gaps in your thought processes.

There are 2 weeks to go until the release of The Final Tables Workbook and I thought I'd tell you the story of how this all happened...

I got a tweet a few months ago from James "Splitsuit" Sweeney, co-founder of Red Chip Poker, author and prolfic poker content creator (type splitsuit into youtube and cancel the plans for the rest of your day). He wanted me to write a book with him.

James had a very clear vision from the very start what he wanted and I was immediately impressed with how he operates. I knew pretty much straight away that this was a project that captured my imagination and that I could deliver what James wanted.

Essentially, this is his third Hand Reading Workbook. His first two are for live players and 6-max cash, so it was only logical that he came to a tournament specialist for help writing this one. If you're interested in his first two workbooks, you can check them out here:

So, I set about composing 40 Workbook questions for range analysis. The hands usually progress to at least the turn card, but there are a few short-stacked situations where preflop all-ins are analysed in depth. Every hand is from a final table situation and the book is divided into 3 sections:

Section 1: Hands 1-10 which focus on your range

So in this section, there are questions which probe you to think about what your range is for each situation. You have to define the boundaries, but there are always leading questions to guide you in the right direction.

Section 2: Hands 11-30 which focus on the villain's range

In this section, your hole cards are displayed, but the villain's are not. You have to consider what range of hands the villain would be choosing for each situation. Often you are given information as to the playing style of the villian to help you. You have to remember to assign a range based on what you think he/she would do, not what you would do.

Section3: Hands 31-40 which focus on range vs range analysis

Finally, the most challenging part of the workbook asks you to assign ranges for both players, enabling you to see which player has the "range advantage" at each stage of the hand. This can be very revealing and can help you to see leaks in both your own game and in others'.

By the end of June, the hands were written and James set to work putting the book together, which happened fast, even with WSOP distractions! He's a super-efficient guy.

In August, I spent time producing 8 x 30 minute video answers to some of the questions in the workbook, which can be purchased as part of the "Titan package" (more details to follow soon). I use HRC (Holdem Resources Calculator) and Flopzilla in the videos. Pokercruncher is also a good choice for Mac users.

Now, we're 2 weeks from release of the book (Sep 5th) and I'm thinking about that part of the process which comes least naturally to me: sales and marketing. The book will be available to purchase here at postfloppoker and also through Splitsuit's website here:

Scott: It’s episode #20 of, “The Postflop Poker Podcast.” The show for serious recreational player, who is looking to improve their game. And since it is a milestone episode, the big 2-0, we’ve got a great show lined up for you. The hand that is sure to bust more people, than an ‘80’s cop movie. I am of course talking about flopping top pair, top kicker, or TP-TK as the kids like to say these days.

The aggression statistic(s) is part of the traditional “holy trinity” of stats (VPIP/PFR/AF), and it is certainly the most useful “general” postflop statistic that becomes meaningful after just 200-300 hands.

However, through speaking to many of my coaching clients, I am acutely aware of 2 problems relating to these statistics:

One of the single biggest reasons why people fail to become good poker players is that they rush decisions. There are a whole host of sub-reasons why people rush decisions. When I am coaching clients, I often pose this question and get a wide variety of answers. This is not a minor issue. It is absolutely fundamental to your poker game.